How Long to Grill Perfect Chicken Wings

Grilled chicken wings are today’s most popular addition to menus. It is important to know how long to grill chicken wings, chicken wings temp for grilling and also recipes that are easy to prepare and taste as good as they look.

To know how to grill chicken wings that are picture perfect, there are several things to consider. The grill temperature settings are usually found in the manual that accompanied your grill at the time of purchase.

Chicken wing recipe instructions are equally crucial to the final result. Some grilling chefs prefer ready-made marinades and grilling sauces to homemade recipes for barbecue sauce.

Which Parts of Chicken Wings Do People Always Cook?

If you purchase fresh chicken wings from a butcher, chicken wing parts can be pre-sliced into two pieces, leaving wing tips to be used for creating chicken broth later.

The two parts of chicken wings people cook most are drums and flats. However, wing tips are favored by some for their crispy texture after cooking. Your local butcher may also debone the drums and flats if preferred.

If you purchase chicken wings from a grocer, depending on the grocer, you need to remove the wings from the whole chicken and use the remainder of the chicken for grilling, soups or roasting in the oven.

Today most grocers sell chicken wings packaged with and without wing tips. If packaged with wing tips included, there is an easy way to remove the tips. Look for the joint attached to the joined “flat” and “drum.”

This is also the best way to separate flats and drums. Use a sharp knife to cut through at the joints. Now, the chicken wings are ready for the next step: the grilling recipe.

Which Part is the Best?

According to popular opinion, most diners in restaurants order the flats and drums of chicken wings. If you want quantity, chicken drums or “drumettes,” as they sometimes called, are meatier. However, the wing flats hold a higher quality taste.

COOKING TEMP CHART FOR CHICKEN WINGS

Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe

• Serves 4 to 6 people
• Preparation time: 45 minutes
• Grilling Temp: preheated to 415 degrees, depending on the allowable grill temperature settings

If you use a ThermoPro TP8 digital thermometer, you can ensure your grilling temperature is accurate. The ThermoPro TP08 will monitor the grilling process, and the readout will indicate if your grill temperature is above or below your cooking temperature range.

Just place the probe into chicken wings to get a readout of the temperature. For more instructions on the use of the ThermoPro TP08, visit the product page.

• Ingredients:

4 to 6 split chicken wings per person (Approximately two dozen and a half)

2 tablespoons Cajun hot sauce (less for less spicy heat)

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon dried onion powder

1 teaspoon dried garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon finely crushed cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1 cup white wine or bourbon if preferred

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon peanut oil

• Directions:

In a small bowl, blend dry ingredients until well mixed. Set aside.

In a large (approximately 2 quarts) bowl, blend hot sauce, melted butter, lime juice and white wine or bourbon, olive oil, and peanut oil until it becomes a fine emulsion

Add in dry ingredients and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated

Place chicken wings in batches of six into the mixture until all wings are coated

Place coated chicken wings on the preheated grill and cook until the ThermoPro TP8 Wireless TP8 thermometer reading indicates the wings are fully cooked through.

The ThermoPro thermometer provides convenient chicken wings cooking temp and time for grilling with no guesswork.

Chicken Wings Recipe for Dipping Sauce

Lovers of chicken wings also favor a dipping sauce as an accompaniment. The most popular is relatively simple to prepare.

• Ingredients:

1 16-ounce container of sour cream

3 tablespoons dried minced onion

1 green onion finely chopped

1 8-ounce package of fine quality bleu cheese crumbled

1/4 cup crispy bacon bits

Dash of cayenne pepper to taste

Fresh parsley for garnish

• Directions:

Place sour cream and blue cheese in a medium bowl

Add in finely chopped green onion

Fold in bacon bits

Add dried minced onion and cayenne pepper

Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley when serving chicken wings.

Presentation of Grilled Chicken Wings

Presentation of grilled chicken wings is essential to add to eating enjoyment. Place the dipping sauce in the center of a large tray and surround with chicken wings for buffet style servings.

For single servings, place four chicken wings on each plate and add a dollop of the dipping sauce.

Do Chicken Wings Digitally

• A large, backlit LCD display for clear visibility for grilling outdoors in the evening
• A wide programmable temperature range for a variety of meats, fish, and poultry
• Celsius/Fahrenheit selector
• A receiver that Receiver flashes and beeps when the temperature goes above the programmed temperature
• Timer and temperature memory feature that reactivates even when the unit is off
• A rubber sleeve case
• Count down and count up timer
• Temperatures can also be set manually

Other Cooking Methods of Chicken Wings

There are lots of different ways to cook chicken wings when the weather outside is unsuitable for grilling or if friends and family want a delicious change. These methods include:

1. Southern Fried Chicken Wings

• Serves 4 to 6 people
• Cooking time: Approximately 6-8 minutes
• Ingredients:

2 dozen chicken split wings (flats and drums)

3 cups of plain (not seasoned) bread crumbs

1 egg well beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

• Directions:

Place buttermilk, flour, and egg in a large mixing bowl

Mix until the mixture is the consistency of pancake mix

Add in salt and pepper

Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl

Dredge chicken wings in buttermilk mixture and then in breadcrumbs

Heat oil in a large skillet (cast iron is preferred if available)

Place chicken wings into the skillet six wings at a time (Do not crowd. Wings cook evenly in smaller quantities)

Insert ThermoPro TP08 probe into a wing to test cooking temperature

Fry in oil until ThermoPro TP08 probe readout indicates doneness

Remove wings and place on paper towels before serving

2. Oven Baked Chicken Wings Italian Style

• Serves 4 to 6
• Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
• Cooking Temp: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Ingredients:

2 dozen split chicken wings (flats and drums)

1 24-ounce can tomato puree

1 small can tomato paste

2 cloves fresh minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped

1 small onion minced

1/2 cup red or white wine

1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms (if preferred)

Salt and pepper to taste

• Directions:

Blend all ingredients except the chicken wings.

Place split chicken wings (flats and drums) into a large, well-oiled baking pan.

Pour tomato mixture over the top

Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes and test with ThermoPro TP-08 for doneness.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly (about 8 minutes). To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese.

No matter which cooking method you choose, individual chicken wing flats and drums are fairly uniform in size, and unlike certain meats, there is no shrinkage.

Once you know how long to grill chicken wings, other methods like roasting, broiling, sauteing and stewing become more accessible to understand.

Note that since individual flats and drums are standard in size and weight, the only other issue to be mindful of is to ensure chicken wings are fully cooked. A ThermoPro TP08 digital thermometer is ideal for this.

Poultry of any kind requires impeccably clean hands for handling. Preparation time for chicken wings depends on the quantity to be cooked.

These are ideal for parties where the quantity cooked may be an average of 5-10 lbs, depending on the number of servings. For most family picnics and barbecue, 2-3 lbs are usually adequate.

There are many kinds of dipping sauces to serve with grilled, broiled or roasted chicken wings. A simple bowl of good quality clover honey is always appreciated. A lemon, olive and fresh, minced garlic dipping sauce is also a good compliment.

Note that when baking and roasting chicken wings, a side dish of orange-cranberry sauce gives a finished flavor to the menu.